Dreams of Storms and Fairies
by TheMaskofSunshine
Summary: Fairy Tail is known for its chaotic adventures. But one day, everything flips upside down when Natsu and his team run into the most unlikely person: someone Natsu knew back when he was with Igneel, before Fairy Tail. However, this person has more secrets than Fairy Tail could possibly imagine. What will happen if these secrets get out? Will Fairy Tail end for good? OCxLaxus
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys!**

 **First off, thanks for even looking at my story or reading it if you care to!**

 **This is my first story so _please_ feel free to review and leave comments!**

 **I'll try to stay up to date with it, and, if you're willing to bear with it along with me, go ahead and favorite or follow this story!**

 ***Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail and all the characters***

 ***I own the OC***

 **Regardless, enjoy the story!**

* * *

Some say that the world runs on power; the need to control and dominate ruling everything and everyone today. But others; they disagree. They say the world needs balance and democracy; that everyone should live and be equal. Then, there are those who simply let the wind guide them and they follow. The ones who live for a little power and mischief one day, yet long for balance and peace the next. It's these people who can either destroy the world in one swift motion or protect it for eternity. It's these people who could change the world forev—

"Shit."

A midnight blur sped through the dense forest, ever so often glancing at the crowd of spiteful men following close behind. The hooded figure dashed between thick trees, over mossy logs, and through rough shrubs, finding any way possible to lose the group in the maze.

"Tch. These damn dark guilds are going to be the death of me, I swear." The figure grumbled as they promptly turned around and extended their arms out in front of them. "Illusive Mist!" they hollered, as a dark purple seal appeared on the ground, releasing a thick, iridescent mist throughout the forest. "That should hold off those idiots long enough." The figure immediately turned back around and sprinted away.

With the sound of incessant coughing and vengeful shouting behind them, the hooded figure shook their head while looking at their red, blistering wrists. "Ugh. Why is it that you always get yourself into dangerous situations? Can't you just find some peaceful, remote forest and become an old hermit or something?" Their wrists began to glow a soft blue light, and, within seconds, the marks were gone and their skin looked like a blank canvas. "Of course, if I did that, there'd be no fun or excitement anymore," they noted with a smirk. "And heaven knows I can't live without excitement or adventure of some kind."

With one final glance at the confusion and anger seething through their mist, they chuckled to themselves and focused on their next destination. Although one adventure had seemingly closed behind them, a plethora awaited them in the lively town ahead. For their next destination was none other than Magnolia.

* * *

A multitude of shops, booths, and restaurants lined the streets of Magnolia, each one filling the town with a bubble of jovial energy. Residents and visitors alike wandered along the various pathways shopping, chatting, laughing, or enjoying themselves in general. Among the horde of people, a group of mages sauntered through, returning home after their previous job.

"Next time, we're walking. I don't think I can go on a train or car or anything anymore." The pink haired young man lurched over, covering his mouth with one hand while holding his stomach with the other. As he continued, his step waivered ever so slightly, trying to keep up with the rest of his team.

"If we do that, it'll take even longer. Plus, my feet would hurt, and taking the train is so much easier," whined the curvaceous blonde as she held her snowman-looking pet between her arms, tightening her grip at the thought of walking the entire distance.

"Yeah, flame breath." The shirtless man grumbled, crossing his arms. "Just suck it up and deal with it."

A blue cat with wings flew up beside the pink haired mage. "That's okay, Natsu! We'll fly there next time!" recommended the blue cat, as he hid his wings and began to walk beside the said mage.

"We're a team, thus we'll travel as a team. If riding on the train is an issue, I can always help with that, Natsu." Offered the scarlet haired mage, carting an immense pile of luggage.

The pink haired mage and blue cat exchanged a look of pure terror before quickening their pace. "No thanks, Erza! I'll be fine!"

"By the way Natsu, you didn't have to destroy the entire town. Now they're gonna have to rebuild everything. We could have just helped them negotiate and solved problems that way," huffed the blonde girl.

"Yeah, but Lucy, where's the fun in negotiating? Right, Happy?" Natsu, the pink haired mage, protested to Lucy, followed by a silly grin towards the blue cat.

"Aye sir! Plus, Gray and Erza helped too! It wasn't only Natsu's fault." Happy added while glancing over at Lucy, who was now pouting.

"Exactly! See Luce? Gray and Erza destroyed the town too," Natsu began as he rubbed the back of his head. "Why do you always blame me anyways? I don't destroy everythi—"

Without warning, Natsu snapped his head towards a grand commotion that was growing in the distance. With concern etched into his face, the rest of his team whipped their heads in the direction that Natsu was looking. Almost immediately afterward, a massive explosion and cloud of dust and debris appeared in that same direction, followed by an overabundance of shouting, swear words, and anger.

Natsu and the group began racing towards the site of the explosion, but stopped when they saw a cloaked figure hurdle between two fruit stands and rush past them. Their line of sight followed the character before changing back to an extensive group of vengeful men, bruises, cuts, and scars covering every inch of their bodies that weren't covered in dark fabric and chains and metal.

"Oi, get back here you brat! You can run as much as you want, but we will get you again," barked the man leading the group. He continued by looking to the men on his left and right, jerking his head towards the hooded figure. As he focused ahead towards the figure, he noticed the dead end past them, a malicious grin growing on his face. "Well, well, well. Where are you gonna go now, hmm? Just be a good girl and come with us." He mused.

Meanwhile, Natsu and his team closely followed the hooded figure and the men. "What the hell do these bastards think they are doing?" snarled Natsu, as his fists lit on fire. But just as quickly as his fists were alight, they died out as he and everyone else in the area skidded to a stop. The hooded figure had abruptly frozen, frantically glancing at the various buildings surrounding them, while the men continually closed in on them. However, with a heavy sigh and a sharp turn, the figure interlocked their fingers and shouted, "Sphere of Delusion!" Instantaneously, a large bubble-like dome appeared around the area, as to only contain the figure and the dark mages, thus excluding the rest of the city and Natsu's team.

 _Tch. I thought that mist would have held them off longer, and now they've destroyed part of this town. Great._ The hooded figure thought as she faced the men, giving them her best death glare. _Well, I've got no other choice than to fight them now. God dammit. And just when I thought I'd be clear for a while._

With that thought, the figure immediately extended her arms in front of her, once again, and bellowed, "Illusive Mist", thus producing the same iridescent mist inside the bubble. She then bounded towards the men, careful to avoid the leader, simply taking them out one-by-one with various punches, kicks, and simple spells. In one precise and rapid flip, the figure stood back in her original spot, releasing a deep sigh that was held back.

At the same time, outside of the protective dome, Natsu and his team stood watching the encounter inside. _Who the hell is that person? Their magic…that magic…why is it so familiar? What the hell is going on?_ Natsu thought as he clenched his fist, eager to fight and eager to figure out what was going on.

No later than a minute after the bubble dome and shimmering mist had appeared, the mist dissipated to reveal only two people standing: the hooded figure and the leader of the dark mages. The rest of the men lay scattered around the dome in multiple stages of disarray. Every onlooker's eyes widened at the scene that lay before them.

 _Did…did she take out ALL of them by herself?_ Lucy thought, hand shaking as she reached towards her keys for comfort and just in case anything else happened.

 _Amazing. Her skill and capabilities must be immense in order to knock that many mages unconscious in only a matter of seconds. Who is she exactly?_ Erza thought, squinting her eyes almost as to sharpen her analysis of the situation.

 _She did all that by herself. Just how strong is she?_ Gray thought, readying himself for a possible incoming battle.

"Tch. I see you won't go down without a fight, considering you took down all my men, brat. Good thing too. Cause I wasn't planning on staying still for long anyways." The leader proclaimed with a smirk growing on his face. "Let's see just how powerful you are, little missy."

In an instant, the leader pounced towards the hooded woman with a fist glowing green. "Acidic Blast!" The hooded figure flipped backward, skidding to a stop with their hand out to balance them. The floor and area in front of her flashed and splashed green as his acid impacted the floor.

"Light apparition," she exclaimed as she rotated her palms from facing each other to facing the leader. Instantaneously, a purple and silver mirror-like wall appeared, separating the figure and the leader.

 _Try using your magic now, asshole. I'm done fooling around. It's about time we end this._ She thought as she jumped through the illusion.

The leader took a step back, his eyes widening as he gazed upon the large reflective wall. He readied himself, joining his hands together and shouted, "Acid Rain!" A flurry of steaming green pellets showered from the sky, sliding down the shimmering wall. Yet, once the rain ceased, the wall was still standing. _What the hell kind of magic is this? What a nuisance. Tch._ He thought as he cautiously approached the wall.

However, by this point, the hooded figure had already snuck behind the leader and with one last blow of her magic, he fell to his knees and fell unconscious. The bubble dome that protected the town slowly dissolved away, revealing the figure standing among the mass of unconscious dark guild members.

Natsu's team's eyes widened as they saw the results of the battle that had previously ensued. As if shaking his head of any remaining thoughts, Natsu set his gaze on the figure and swiftly ran towards her.

"Yo! Nice fighting! That was some cool magic, and you took down all those guys by yourself! What guild ar—"

"Look here, kid. If you don't want to end up like your little friends there, I'd suggest you go away. Got it? I'm not looking for any more trouble." The hooded figure sharply turned away from the group, towards the one exit of the area.

 _Pink hair…But that's impossible. After all these years…But what the hell is he doing here? And why the hell did he join a guild? A guild of all things!_ She thought, sighing heavily. _Regardless, even if he is Natsu, I can't stick around. Especially if he's in a guild._

"Friends? We don't know them. Besides, they're in a dark guild. We're a part of Fairy Tail!" Natsu responded with a toothy grin, eventually pointing to himself and his teammates.

The figure continued to walk away, clenching both her jaw and her fists as her annoyance began to build up. "I don't care if you're a dark guild, an independent guild, or a real guild. All guilds are same; power hungry and a nuisance. And I'm sure your Fairy Tail is no different."

At this, Natsu froze, eyes wide before clenching them shut. "What did you say? Fairy Tail ain't like all those other guilds. Power? A nuisance? Fairy Tail cares about their friends and family and others, and I won't sit by and let you or anyone tarnish Fairy Tail's name." His fury appeared as the fire surrounding his closed fists.

The figure paused their step, sensing the pink haired mage's power rising. _I see you've gotten stronger Natsu, but I don't have the time, patience, nor desire to fight you. Stop being so idiotic._ "As I said before, I'm not looking for any trouble and I have no intentions of fighting you or your friends. Now, I've got things to do, so if you don't mind, I'll be on my way." She resumed her walking but quickly halted and dashed to the side as she heard the other mage launch towards her with his flaming magic.

"No one gets away with insulting Fairy Tail. We're nothing like those dark guilds." Natsu growled as he turned to punch the cloaked figure with his flaming fist again.

"Tch. I told you I don't want to fight, kid. Stop causing problems, will you? I don't care about your guild or whatever. I'm just trying to stay out of trouble. If you aren't like all the other guilds, then maybe you should also stay out of trouble, idiots." The figure snarled as she avoided his punches, completely taking the defense. _Natsu, cut it out. I don't want to fight you, you idiot. Stop trying to pick a fight like always…_ She thought as she dodged his fire dragon wing slash. _Tch._ _Fine. If that's how it's gonna be, then I'll play your game Natsu. Just don't blame me later._

The figure jumped back and blocked his next flame punch with a glimmering shield. Unexpectedly, three other dark figures surrounded her on her right, left, and back, in addition to the fire mage and the blue cat in front of her. And within thirty seconds, a whirlwind of magic was aimed at the figure; a blend of ice make, fire dragon slayer, celestial, and sword magic. As spell after spell were aimed at her, she swiped, blocked, and dodged each one, cautious of her surroundings and analyzing the various spikes in magic energy nearby.

The five of them exchanged blows for what seemed like an eternity until Natsu and his team dodged back together.

"She stronger than she's putting out. Everyone go with their strongest attack. Natsu, go in from the front. Gray, you and I will take the sides. Lucy, come from behind. If we're able to catch her off guard or even halt her for one minute, we could beat her." Erza advised as she locked eyes with each of her teammates. "Now!" With that cue, each of the mages jumped into action summoning a great deal of magic energy and each releasing four enormously strong attacks at the hooded woman. With one final jump back, the group anxiously waited for their attacks to hit their target.

Yet as the attacks all arched towards the cloaked figure, her voice rang out amid the chaos, "Mirage of Heavenly Protection!". To many, those words were drowned in the explosions and destruction that ensued. But to one, those words couldn't have been clearer.

As the dust settled back down around the area, the team's eyes widened at the sight before them. The figure stood strong, arms extended above her, creating a massive, iridescent, translucent sphere around her. As her put her arms back down by her side and the sphere faded away, they noticed that she had no injuries, no marks at all. She blocked all their attacks and emerged completely unharmed. They all gritted their teeth as they planned what to do next; all except one.

 _Im-Impossible. That magic…That spell…I-It's her…_ Natsu thought, frozen in his tracks, only staring wide-eyed at the woman before him. Memories, moments, and conversations flashed before his eyes as he watched the person in front of him, taking in her every movement, every breath, every heart beat. _After all these years…I've finally found her…_

Erza, Gray, Lucy and Happy all looked towards Natsu in shock as they saw the fire surrounding his fists extinguish. They watched him stand there with an equal look of shock plastered on his face, emotions racing a mile a minute.

The figure took this opportunity and turned away from the group. "That was fun and all, but now I've got some things to do. Stay out of trouble, Fairy Tail mages." With that, she began to walk away as if nothing had happened, though knowing full well that everything had just happened. _I'm sorry Natsu, but even if you are the same Natsu I knew, I can't bring you into the mess that my life is now. Stay safe, kid._

Not thirty seconds later, the cloaked figure was stopped in her tracks as muscular arms wrapped around her torso and held her in place, as though the owner would die if they let go of her. A familiar soft voice rang in her ears as she felt the grip around her waist tighten.

"I finally found you…Aria."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys!**

 **Thanks for continuing to read my story! And thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and/or followed this story! This motivates me to write faster and give you guys more chapters sooner!**

 **Anyways, _please_ feel free to review, favorite or follow this story!**

 ***Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail and all the characters***

 ***I own the OC***

 **Enjoy the story!**

* * *

"I finally found you…Aria."

Natsu held onto his dear friend as if his life depended on it, arms trembling as they tightened around her. All their childhood memories, all their fights, all their laughter rang through his head nonstop, each one causing him to shudder more. He rested his head in the crook of her neck inhaling her familiar scent as if it were the one thing that made everything right in the world.

 _Those words. I've wanted to hear those words for years. Hell, I've wanted to be able to say those words._ Aria focused forward with a nostalgic expression, remembering all the years she had spent looking for him. _Natsu…I…I can't bring you into everything…Not now…_ She sighed, longing to put everything aside and reunite with her best friend. _I won't bring you into this...but knowing you, you won't let go so easily, will you? Oh Natsu, what am I going to do with you?_

"It's good to see you again…Natsu." Aria whispered, a pleasant smile gracing her face.

She felt the pressure around her waist increase. Yet, she waited there savoring every minute, every second, every moment that they were together, knowing that the minute she broke it apart, there'd be no going back.

"Come on Natsu, let go." Aria tilted her head towards his, ever so slightly nudging it. She sighed hopelessly as she looked at him.

 ** _Protect._**

"Let go, Natsu. I won't be able to breathe at this rate." Aria continued while she brought her hands up to his arms, trying to loosen his grip.

However, it was to no avail as he tightened his grip on her more, arms and body shaking with every breath.

"Natsu, when I said, 'let go' that doesn't mean tighten your grip, you idiot! Are you trying to kill me?" Aria reprimanded as she attempted to wiggle out of his hold.

An almost undistinguishable noise echoed out which caused Aria to freeze immediately. _Sobs? Natsu, please…please don't cry._

"I lost you before. I'm not losing you again." Natsu murmured, almost sinking into Aria further.

Aria glanced at the pink hair to her right and then down to the arms wrapped around her, caging her in. She released a shaky breath she had been holding in for who knows how long and began to wiggle her way so that she was facing him.

"You know, Natsu, you can't use magic if you hold onto me forever. That means you'll never find out who's stronger out of the two of us." Aria stated, a soft smirk growing on her face.

Almost immediately, Natsu jumped back, eyes wide with shock and brimming with tears, which slowly melted to a look of pure determination. Aria heartily laughed as she watched the man before her mirror the kid she knew all those years ago.

"You haven't changed one bit…Dragon Boy." With a gentle smile, she slowly brought her hands up to the hood of her cloak and lowered it down to reveal her face.

Natsu's eyes widened as he saw the same girl he knew back then. However, he could tell that time and fighting had taken a toll on her. Her usually calm, wavy dirty blonde hair was now pulled up into a curly, confusing ponytail, with multiple strands hanging down, framing her face. She had nearly unnoticeable cuts, bruises, and scars decorating her face. Her once bright Caribbean blue eyes, full of life and vigor, seemed ever-so-slightly faded, with dark makeup smeared around and dark sunken bags below her eyes. Her whole essence was that of an untamed beast. Dangerous yet alluring. Beautiful and deadly.

Aria stood there gazing quizzically yet amused at Natsu as he analyzed her. She swiftly took her hand and waved it in front of Natsu's eyes, as if to pull him out of a trance.

"Yoo hoo! Natsuuuu! You still there?" Aria teased.

Natsu blinked. Then once more, before a big toothy grin spread across his face. He lurched out and snatched Aria's wrist. He swiftly turned around and started to run off past his teammates, dragging a stunned Aria behind him.

"Come on you guys! Let's go!" Natsu cheered.

Erza, Gray, Lucy, and Happy all exchanged confused and slightly cautious looks before chasing after the two.

"Wait! Natsu! Where are you going? Slow down!" Lucy screeched as she ran as fast as she could to keep up with the maniac.

"Dammit, flame brain. Slow down, will you? Where the hell are you going?" Gray hollered.

"Let's just follow him," Erza added, keeping up with Lucy and Gray. "I'm sure he's got something in mind. Especially since it seems like he knows her."

"NATSU! What the hell are you doing? Where are you dragging me, which by the way I can run on my own! Natsu!" Aria shrieked as she struggled to keep up with his fast pace and hurdle over fallen stands.

"There are some people that I want you to meet! Come on! Another adventure like always, right?" Natsu grinned before speeding up.

 _What did I get myself into? Oh, Natsu…what am I going to do with you?_ Aria thought as a soft smirk appeared on her face.

 ** _Protect._**

 _Yeah, yeah. I know. I promised, didn't I?_ She looked back at the man dragging her along, running with a newfound burst of energy. _Protect, huh?_ With that thought, Aria heartily followed the pink haired boy to their unknown destination.

* * *

"What the hell is that?" Aria questioned as she gazed upon the massive building in the distance.

"That's our guild, Fairy Tail! I want you to meet my friends and guildmates!" Natsu exclaimed as his grin widened.

"Huh?! I thought I told you Natsu? I don't do guilds. Guilds and I just…don't get along, okay?" Aria fretted as she tried to twist her wrist out of his grip.

"Come on! It won't be that bad! Besides, there's someone that has to meet you!" Natsu continued, getting closer and closer to the said guild.

With one swift kick to the doors, they slammed open with Natsu still running, directly towards the person he wanted to see. All the guild members would have barely glanced, considering it was Natsu, except a lovely woman who trailed behind caught their attention. Someone that no one had ever seen before.

"Gramps!" Natsu announced as he waved at him with one hand while pulling Aria along with the other.

"Natsu, my boy! How was the job? You didn't destroy everything like always, did you?" Makarov smiled as he glanced behind Natsu at the beautiful woman in tow. "Hmmm? Who's this Natsu? Found another one to join the guild?"

Meanwhile, that said woman was looking around at the guild known as Fairy Tail. _No metal…no chains…people are smiling?_ Aria's eyes darted about, jumping from person to person. _There's light in here…It feels welcoming, not like death, gloom and power-hungry men...What the hell kind of guild is this?_ Her gaze landed on the short elderly man sitting on what looked like a bar. She analyzed him and, from what she could tell, he was concealing a great deal of magic power. Her eyes fell to the medallion pinned to his coat. _That…that medallion…he's a wizard saint?_ She focused back on the two men talking in front of her yet again to hear the older man ask Natsu about her.

"I finally found her, Gramps! I found Aria!" Natsu exclaimed proudly as he pulled Aria beside him and draped his arms over her shoulders.

And in that one moment, the guild went silent after a large cup hit the floor, leaving a shocked Makarov sitting there, eyes flicking between the two mages in front of him.

"You…you found her? So, this is the Aria you talked about?" Makarov could barely form words, as this was, quite frankly, the last thing he expected to hear. He glanced back towards Aria, whose expression of initial shock slowly faded to one of confusion. "Well, I'm glad you found her, Natsu! And I'm glad to finally meet you, my child." Makarov stated, a large grin gracing his face.

Aria, on the other hand, just stood there and blinked. _This guild…regardless if it does seem different, I've got things to do. I'm sorry Natsu._ "Umm, yeah. Nice to meet you too, I guess." After releasing a breath that she had been holding for a long time, she brushed her hair away from her face. Turning back to Natsu, she smiled and ruffled his hair before turning back around to face the doors.

"Anyways, it's nice to see you've got friends and what seems like a pretty good life, Natsu. And, as always, it was great seeing you again. But, like I said, I've got some things to do. So, see ya later, Dragon Boy." She began walking away, thoughts running a mile a minute.

 ** _Protect._**

She closed her eyes and grit her teeth as if to send away the thought. She continued walking until a voice stopped her dead in her tracks with six words. Six pointed words.

"So, you're just gonna leave again?" Natsu growled as he clenched his fists by his side, bangs covering his eyes as he looked straight at the floor. "After all this time of us looking, we _finally_ found each other, and now you're just leaving like back then."

 _Enough._

"Do. Not. Blame. Me." Aria snarled, as she stood shaking, with her eyes, fists and teeth clenched shut.

The guild members were now dead silent; the quietest they had ever been. Their eyes darted between the anger resonating from their goofy dragon slayer to the intense woman fighting back.

" _I_ did not leave you. _I_ went out to get food like I did every morning. When I got back, both Igneel and you were gone. I searched for you for days, weeks, months, years; nonstop. _Do not_ tell me that I left you, Natsu. _Never_ say that I deserted you." Aria enunciated intensely.

Everyone stared, wide-eyed at the brunette as she criticized Natsu. Just who was she to Natsu?

"Natsu, you don't know how much I would love to stay, to catch up, to go on more adventures, but I have things that I have to do. These things…they're too dangerous and complicated to pull you into them. I can't. I won't risk bringing you into them." Aria stated sternly.

A long pause filled the room until all that was heard was footsteps as Natsu slowly approached Aria. With a gentle tug on her arm, Natsu spun her around and held both her arms, essentially keeping her in place.

"We can help. Let Fairy Tail help you." Natsu pleaded.

"Did you not hear what I just said Natsu? It's dangerous. I don't care if you and your friends are willing to throw your lives away so easily, but I'm not going to let any of you do that." Aria snapped back, clenching her fists once again.

The guild watched as the two stood still battling each other's glares until a small voice broke them out of their glaring match.

"U-Um. Aria-san, you said that you knew Natsu-san and Igneel. How did you meet them?" squeaked a timid blue haired girl.

Aria smiled softly before facing the girl. "Hmmm. Well, I got caught up with a dark guild and, Natsu, he came across us and basically saved me. So, he took me back to where he and Igneel were living and we just kind of grew up together."

"So, you two are like brother and sister then?" Wendy asked, this time with a little more confidence.

Aria giggled causing a large smile to appear on her face. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. Why do you ask?"

After a moment of silence, Wendy spoke up, this time more confident than ever, as she moved to stand beside Natsu. "Let us help you, Aria-san. Anyone that needs help, Fairy Tail can do it, especially for our friends and family."

The rest of the guild including Natsu looked at Wendy with proud smiles adorning their faces. Aria, on the other hand, stood absolutely still. _What…What's with this guild? They don't even know me and now they're offering to help even though I've told them multiple times that it's extremely dangerous…Is…Is this really Fairy Tail?_ Aria thought as her eyes flicked from person to person, seeing the same expression shared on all of their faces.

"Come on Aria! Fairy Tail can help! Trust us." Natsu added encouragingly.

 ** _Protect._**

 _SHUT UP! I KNOW, ALRIGHT! ENOUGH!_

"Look, I appreciate the offer and all, but this is my issue and I don't need people getting involved. Like I said Natsu, I'm not willing to risk your life…or your friends' lives for that matter. See ya later…Natsu, Fairy Tail." Aria concluded, as she turned away and briskly left the guild, fists clenched, teeth gritted, and body shaking.

 _I'm so sorry Natsu. But I can't involve you._

The guild stared dumbfounded at the silhouette of Aria as she faded away into the distance. No one took their eyes off the doors until a loud crash was heard from the center of the guild hall. All eyes turned their attention to an outraged Natsu and the pile of wood and ash that was once one of the guild's tables.

"Happy, c'mon. We're leaving." Natsu growled as he began to march away towards the guild door.

"Where are we going Natsu?" Happy cautiously asked, flying up beside his partner.

Natsu stopped, turned back to look at the table he crushed and then scanned the guild looking at all of his guildmates, his friends, his family. He clenched his fist, which instantaneously caught on fire.

"We're gonna help Aria whether she likes it or not. I don't care how dangerous it is. I don't care what happens. But we're a part of Fairy Tail, and Fairy Tail protects their friends and family, including Aria." Natsu declared as he gave the guild one last look with his signature toothy grin before turning around and running out the door.

"C'mon Happy! Time to save Aria, just like the old times!" Natsu cheered.

"Aye sir!" Happy added as he flew to Natsu's side.

The remainder of the guild watched Natsu leave before looking around at each other looking for any reason to stay. Thus, with grins, smirks, and smiles of all kinds, the guild charged out after Natsu, hoping to help and/or save a fellow mage and possible friend.

"Let's do this, Fairy Tail!" Makarov exclaimed as they followed close behind Natsu and Happy, unaware of what was to come.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys!**

 **I'm so so so SO sorry I've been missing for a while.**

 **School became a hassle and was super busy.**

 **Also, I knew where the story was going, but I couldn't put it into words, so that took a long time too.**

 **Anyways, I'm back and I'm going to _try_ and put out a chapter every two weeks, but no guarantees!**

 **Also, I made this chapter extra long since I've been gone so long**

 **Feel free to favorite/follow/review!**

 ***Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail and all the characters***

 ***I own Aria (OC)***

 **Enjoy the story!**

* * *

The cloaked brunette trudged through the forest, huffing as she repeatedly glanced over her shoulder to check for a certain stubborn dragon slayer.

"Dammit, Natsu. I'm not doing this to be a bitch. I just want you to stay safe and out of danger's way. I don't have time to solve my problems and babysit you. And heaven knows, if you're anything like your kid self, you consistently find ways to get into trouble." Aria sighed before slowing to a stop to face the town she just left behind. "I just don't want you to get hurt, Dragon Boy. I wouldn't forgive myself for that. Especially since I— "

Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second before closing as a competitive smirk decorated her face. She heaved a lengthy sigh, sensing the impending magic, and she opened her eyes with a large grin growing on her face.

"Alright, Dragon Boy," Aria hummed. "If that's how you want to do this, things are gonna get a little more fun."

Instantaneously, she generated a tall shimmering wall. After knocking on the mirage twice and snapping her fingers, her figure became enveloped in a pastel blue and purple mist. With one final look at her illusion and changed appearance, she swiftly flipped back around and began to run off opposite of the pink haired dragon slayer closing in on her location.

"Let's see if you can keep up, Natsu. You may have gotten stronger, but I'll always outwit you" Aria mused as she looked forward, set on her next destination.

* * *

"C'mon Happy! Her scent's getting stronger, so we must be getting close." Natsu hurried forward, a hopeful look gracing his features.

"Aye, sir!" Happy exclaimed as he hovered beside his partner, glancing at him and his determined expression. "Hey, Natsu. She said that it was dangerous, right? That we could risk our lives? Are you sure we should go? I don't want to die yet!" Happy noted while dramatically crying and whining about the upcoming adventure.

"It'll be fine, Happy! I won't let anyone hurt you! Besides, Aria needs our help, even if she doesn't say it. She's always been that way. She does everything by herself and is always strong for others, fearing nothing at all. Just cause she says that she doesn't need help, doesn't mean it's true. So, let's go show her how awesome we are, right!" Natsu beamed at his flying blue partner, who grinned back.

But those smiles were quickly smacked off their faces, quite literally, as they ran straight into what seemed like an invisible wall.

"Owww. Natsu, what was that?" Happy questioned while rubbing his face.

Natsu glanced at the forest ahead of him, squinting his eyes as if to try and see the wall. "I'm not sure Happy, but I bet this is one of her tricks. It's like that one she made when she was fighting that dark mage."

Happy looked back at the "wall" and reached his hand out to try and touch it. "Maybe we can break through it?" Happy offered, looking back at Natsu, who was already cranking back his fire-engulfed fist.

"I'm way ahead of you, Happy! Let's do this!" With that, Natsu punched the wall, only to be blasted back a few feet, dazed from the impact. Happy immediately flew over, hovering by the dragon slayer's side, gently trying to shake him back into sanity.

"Natsu, are you okay? C'mon get up Natsu!" Happy whimpered as he continued to nudge his pink haired friend. However, the sound of loud footsteps caught his attention as he looked up to see the rest of the guild running towards him and Natsu. "Everyone! Natsu won't get up!"

Lucy and Wendy immediately ran up beside Happy and Natsu, looking down at the stunned dragon slayer. The rest of the guild members crowded around the four, wondering what Natsu got himself into this time.

"Happy, what happened? What did Natsu do this time?" Lucy asked, glancing at Natsu and Happy.

"Well, there's this wall, but we couldn't see the wall so we ran into it. And then I thought we should try and break it, and Natsu was already thinking that too so he punched the wall, but he was blasted back and now he's on the ground like this." Happy rambled on.

The three looked back down at Natsu, who was just now beginning to stir.

"Did…did I break it, Happy?" Natsu mumbled.

"I think it broke you more than you broke it," Lucy stated as she helped him to his feet.

Erza cautiously walked over to the wall and placed her palm flat on it. "It looks identical to the one she formed back in the city. Master, do you know what kind of magic this is?" Erza questioned, looking back at the short, old man.

"Illusion magic, most likely." Makarov mused as he craned his neck upwards to look at the wall. "I don't believe brute force will be the answer to this problem, as evidenced by Natsu. However, perhaps there could be another way to break through it."

"Hmmm. What about runes? Levy, Freed! Could you find a way to make an opening using runes?" Lucy offered.

"Perhaps. I'm sure there's something that could be written." Freed stated. "Shall we then, Levy?"

"Right! We won't let you down!" Levy added.

The group watched as Freed and Levy diligently formed the purple runes across the face of the wall. Seconds passed and then minutes as everyone waited anxiously. Finally, with a loud poof and a navy-blue mist falling to the ground, a clear opening appeared in the wall.

"There. We should be good to cross now." Levy confirmed.

"Alright! C'mon Happy! We've got some catching up to do!" Natsu grinned as he ran through the new hole in the wall. However, on the other side, he screeched to a stop. With a twitch of his nose, he furrowed his brow. "Her scent is gone. Wait. I've got something new. Let's go, Happy!"

With that, Natsu and Happy led the Fairy Tail crowd to their next unknown destination.

* * *

"I finally found you," Aria grunted as she gazed at the ominous building in the distance. The waning moon in the night sky only helped to accentuate the massive guild ahead. She slowly approached it, taking each step with caution as she began to replay her "detailed" plan in her mind.

 _Enter through the hole in the roof. Stay in the rafters. Get what's mine. Maybe beat up a few guys if necessary. Get out through the roof…Easy Peasy. Alright. Let's do this._

She effortlessly navigated her way to the back of the guild and quietly made her way onto the roof via the multiple vines and surrounding tree branches. She crept closer to the source of the boisterous laughter and arguments and peered down at the legion of assassins, thieves, and rogues.

 _ **Protect.**_

 _Ugh not now. He's nowhere near. He'll be fine. Get ahold of yourself, Aria. There's nothing to worry about._ Aria carefully lowered herself through the hole and among the rafters. _Alright, enter through the hole. Check. Stay in the rafters. Check. Now, to get back what's mine._

 _ **Protect.**_

 _STOP WORRYING. He's fine. Besides, there's no way he could've gotten through that barrier. Knowing him, he would've tried to smash through it. He's not coming._ Aria looked back up at the night sky. _Right?_ She jolted her head towards the faint sound of a flock of ravens flying away. Her eyes widened, and her brow creased with worry. _His friends. But if his friends helped, could…could he have made it through? Does that mean…Could he be coming? Natsu. PLEASE don't be an idiot this once. Don't follow me. Not this time._

 _ **Protect.**_

With a sharp inhale and a rough shake of her head to clear her mind, she scanned the room below, hoping to find the item she so desperately coveted. Her gaze landed on whom she assumed to be the master of the guild, but more specifically, the small trinket grasped between his mangled digits. _There._ She continued to scan the room, searching for a way to take the item, until a deep, malicious voice brought her gaze back to the man in the center of the room.

"For years, we've trailed behind the Balam Alliance, doing their dirty work and getting nothing in return. At least, that is until now. I hold the key to infinite power in my hand; the key to being stronger than the Balam Alliance ever was or will ever be. From this day forward, we will stand on our own and will be known as the most powerful guild of all time. Not even Zeref nor his demons will be a match for us." The guild roared in agreement as the master finished his spiel.

Aria squinted her eyes and huffed with annoyance as she watched the guild rally. _Great. Another power-hungry guild who's overly cocky and doesn't know what the hell they're talking about._

"Now that the pieces are all in place, we can finally achieve this infinite power." The master bellowed to the crowd.

Aria rolled her eyes then focused back on the master, oblivious to the growing smirks and mischievous chuckles of the guild members.

"So, let us begin by welcoming our dear guest to our guild. What do you say, Miss Aria?" The master eyes gleamed as he looked directly up at Aria, whose face had shock written all over it.

 _Shit._

As she felt a presence behind her, she swung from the rafters knocking over the table and chairs in her landing zone. Upon landing, she immediately prepared herself for any incoming attacks.

"Come now, Miss Aria. We don't want to cause you any harm. We simply need you to unlock the power hidden within your precious necklace here." The master said with a vile grin.

"Cause me no harm? Yeah right. I knew you guys were idiots, but I never thought you were this damn stupid. Like I told your men who stole that, there is no 'infinite power' in that necklace. You're just wasting your time…and mine." Aria snarled at the guild master.

With a quick jerk of the guild master's head, the members abruptly launched themselves at Aria, sending magic and weapons flying in complete disorder. Aria deflected and backfired all the incoming attacks, a scowl permanently decorating her face. "Tch. I've had enough of this," Aria growled. "It's time I get this over with."

An iridescent purple cloud began to swirl around Aria and, within seconds, nearly all the members enclosing on her were blown back. "Not so strong now, huh?" Aria scoffed, looking at the masses of unconscious mages lying about like rag dolls.

Unmindful of the figure in the shadows, Aria continued to fight, sending illusion spells this way and that, dealing damage to the seemingly unending group. With a final smirk gracing her features, Aria released a large destructive mist, knocking the remaining members unconscious.

"Even if my necklace _did_ have the key to infinite power, your guild wouldn't even come close to wielding it." Aria sneered at the guild master while trying to catch her breath.

"But we will have the power, thanks to you." An icy voice echoed behind her, creeping closer and closer along with its owner. Aria quickly flipped around to face the impending mage but was met with nothing but the empty room and piles of unconscious mages. The voice again began to swirl around her as she frantically searched for the source. "You may be powerful, illusion mage, but you will never be as quick as I am."

Almost instantaneously, Aria felt strong magic around her wrists, drawing them together as if to bind them. She struggled to no end, attempting to break the magic seal around her arms. Her eyes widened and then squinted in slight pain as she felt her knees buckle beneath her and a forceful pair of hands grab her shoulders to keep her in place.

"'Not so strong now, huh?'" The voice teased her, hot breath on her neck. Aria roughly struggled, trying to loosen her captor's grip, which only tightened in response.

The guild master sauntered towards the two with a malicious smirk growing on his unpleasant face. "Try and deceive us all you'd like, my dear, but we _will_ achieve that power and you _will_ help us. Besides, if it didn't contain infinite power as you said, why would you care so much to make a point of coming to retrieve it, in a disguise no less?"

Aria felt the magic bonds get stronger and winced in response. Slowly her disguise melted away, resulting in her normal appearance, only much, much more annoyed. "Do what you will, but I'm getting that necklace back. Believe me or not, there is no power in it." Aria quipped. "And no matter what you do, this will all end with my necklace back in my possession and you two on the ground unconscious like the rest of your repulsive guildmates."

 _ **Protect.**_

 _NOT NOW. You've kind of got more important things to worry about right now. Besides, it's been long enough now. He's not coming. It'll be fine… And even if he does, you'll figure something out…Right?...You always figure something out._

The guild master harshly grabbed Aria's messy ponytail and jerked it backward, earning a wince of pain from her. "Don't be so sure of yourself, my dear. Just what exactly makes you so sure that you could ever hope to beat a guild master and master assassin?" He dangled the necklace in front of her face and swung it like a pendulum, back and forth and back and forth. "Now, let us begin, shall we?"

He raised his hand which began to glow a deep crimson. As his hand crept closer and closer, Aria struggled more, trying anything to escape the assassin's death grip. The guild master's vile grin grew as the distance between his hand and Aria shrank. Just as his hand hovered over her chest, a resounding crash was heard throughout the guild hall. The three heads snapped towards the source of the crash, where the remains of a splintered door barely hanging on its hinges and a large shadow stood.

 _ **Protect.**_

"Oi, get your hands off her, bastard." A familiar voice growled as he and his companions stepped into the dim lighting of the guild hall. Their faces were stained with angry and determined expressions, though none matched the level of anger the pink haired dragon slayer leading the group held.

 _ **Protect.**_

The dark mages squinted their eyes and scowled at the obnoxious interruption, while Aria felt her spirits sink into the pits of the earth. Worry, panic, anger, fear, and sadness filled her eyes as she looked at the group before her, specifically the man in front.

 _ **Protect.**_

 _No…Natsu…You idiot. Why…why the hell did you come?_

 _ **Protect.**_

 _I told you not to come. Why can't you just listen to me?_

 _ **Protect.**_

 _I'll figure something out. I always do. I just…have to think of something. Come on, Aria! Think!_

 _ **Protect.**_

"And who, exactly, do you think you are?" The guild master hissed as he glared at the intruders.

 _ **Protect.**_

"We are Fairy Tail and we ain't leaving until Aria is with us," Natsu roared, his fists becoming enveloped in glowing flames. His companions all prepared their magic and weapons and braced themselves for the imminent fight.

 _ **Protect.**_

The guild master looked at Aria and then at the man and back again before a devilish smirk grew on his face. "How sweet. Your little friends came to save you. It's too bad that they won't survive though. Now, you get to watch as we show them our true strength. Then we'll take that infinite power of yours and destroy you as well." The guild master swiftly put the necklace on his belt while the assassin shoved Aria behind them, preparing for the fight.

 _ **Protect.**_

 _'They…won't…survive…'_

 _ **Protect.**_

Natsu glared at the two, teeth and fists clenched in blinding anger. "Like hell that'll happen. I ain't gonna let anything happen to Aria. I promised I would protect her from dark guilds and anything else, and nothing will get in my way."

 _ **Protect.**_

 _'Protect' 'Protect' 'Protect'_

 _ **Protect.**_

 _I GET IT! Protect him. I know! I promised, didn't I?…Besides, this is my mess. And it's about time I clean up it up._

"Natsu. Take your friends and get out of here. I told you, I've got this. Don't worry." Aria ordered.

Everyone looked back at the bound woman who exuded a calm sort of confidence.

"Don't get cocky now, Miss Aria. Like I said before, what could you possibly do?" The guild master snickered as he looked down at her.

"Like hell! We're not leaving until these bastards are taken care of." Natsu barked back defiantly at Aria, all the while still glaring down the dark mages. He lunged forward, ready to make the first punch with flame-engulfed fists until he was knocked back by a protective shield.

Deafening silence took over the room. However, a determined voice shattered that silence with its piercing words.

"No." Aria started. "I promised. I promised that I would always protect you, Natsu. That I would always protect my family and friends."

The air throughout the guild became thick, making it almost difficult to breathe. The surrounding pieces of wood and weapons and rubble began to shake and hover off the ground ever-so-slightly. Aria's hair began to blow as if a breeze had blown by, while a blue aura formed around her, tracing her every outline.

"I swore to protect you. And that's what I intend on doing." With a deep breath, Aria released a large wave of mist out across the hall, knocking over the dark mages and any furniture in the way.

The guildhall was hidden amongst an expansive cloud, obstructing nearly everything from sight. "Where are you, Miss Aria? Don't think that you've won just yet." The guild master snarled as he searched through the clouds. Upon colliding with the assassin, the two angrily stood back to back, looking for Aria intently.

A bold voice resonated through the hall. "Won? Oh, but I have already won."

The illusive mist disappeared and presented a freed Aria standing confidently at the entrance of the hall in front of Natsu and the others. She looked over her shoulder at Natsu and, with the snap of her fingers, the protective shield disintegrated.

"Hey, Dragon Boy, what do you say we fight together? Just like the good old days?" Aria proposed with a satisfied smirk gracing her face as she looked back at her childhood best friend.

Natsu's toothy grin grew and he cranked his flaming fist back, ready for a fight. "Hell yeah! Now, I'm fired up!"

Within seconds, the two ran forward, aiming their magic attacks at the two dark mages. As the battle between the four mages ensued, the members of Fairy Tail fought off the multiple dark mages that had woken up and come to their senses.

Many of the Fairy Tail members watched Natsu and Aria fight seamlessly together. Their attacks were timed perfectly as they fought side by side. Their every movement and every breath worked in complete synchronicity. The Fairy Tail members watched, amazed, as they hadn't seen Natsu work so harmoniously with anyone before.

As the number of dark mages dwindled, the fight finally began to die down. Natsu and Aria stood beside each other facing the guild master and assassin.

"Impossible. Somehow you're achieving infinite power, even without the necklace. You _will_ reveal its power and we _will_ wield it." The guild master gasped through labored breaths. Both the master and assassin began to charge up their power, creating massive dangerous auras surrounding them.

"Not because of the necklace, no. You're just too afraid to acknowledge that this is my regular potential." Aria clarified. "You simply don't want to lose. That's all. Make whatever excuse you want, but you're scared. And now, I think it's time we end this." Aria looked to her left at Natsu and, with a curt nod from both, they looked back at the two dark mages.

"Illusion of…" Aria began.

"…the Fire Dragon!" Natsu finished.

Together, they sent a shimmering red flame disc straight for the two mages, resulting in the destruction of the remainder of the guild. Aria and Natsu stood back, with satisfied looks spreading across their faces as they watched the final attack of the battle unfold. Both the master and the assassin laid in a heap, unconscious, among the other guild members and rubble of the guild hall.

 _Finally. We did it. Now to take back what belongs to me._

Aria carefully walked over to the guild master and gently grabbed the necklace from his belt. Her soft gaze examined the necklace for any damage then finally restored it to its original spot around her neck.

 _Get what's mine. Check. Maybe beat up a few guys. Uhhhh. Definitely, check…There. Everything went as planned._

With a smile on her face and a bounce in her step, Aria turned around and met eyes with her "knight in shining armor".

 _Solved one problem. Now to solve another._

She briskly walked over to Natsu and paused no more than a foot in front of him. They stood there, both smiling at each other for what seemed like an eternity. And with one loud smack, that eternity was demolished.

Natsu stood hunched over, rubbing the back of his head and wincing in pain, while Aria stood with a smug smile on her face.

"Oww. What the hell was that for?" Natsu whined, looking at Aria accusingly.

"What was that for? You didn't listen to me, idiot! I specifically said for you to not follow me and yet, you did! It's no wonder you keep getting into trouble." Aria ranted while tugging on Natsu's ear. "How your friends have dealt with you for this long, I have no idea. And look at the place! It didn't look half this bad when I arrived, and you completely destroyed it."

"Well, technically, you helped," Natsu muttered under his breath while crossing his arms.

A navy-blue aura appeared around Aria as her magic and temper began to spike. "What did you say?" she hissed, glaring at Natsu.

"Nothing! Nothing at all!" Natsu denied, scratching the back of his head.

What began as a slight chuckle turned into a full-blown howl from Aria as she watched her best friend react. Soon enough, Natsu and the whole group were laughing equally as hard. The group eventually began to walk back out of the guild and on the road again, returning to their hometown.

"It's good to have you back, Natsu," Aria said sincerely.

"You too!" Natsu cheered. "Hey, Aria, I've got a great idea!"

Aria looked over at Natsu with a raised eyebrow. "Oh yeah? And what would that be, Dragon Boy?"

Natsu's toothy grin grew three times its size as he threw an arm around her shoulders. "You should join Fairy Tail!"

Aria froze.

And for the second time that day, she felt her spirits sink into a bottomless abyss.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys!**

 **Remember how I said I'd try and publish a chapter every two weeks?**

 **Yeah...as you can tell that didn't happen cause I underestimated school yet again.**

 **Regardless, I'm going to try and publish a chapter every month at the minimum.**

 **Feel free to favorite/follow/review!**

 ***Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail and all the characters***

 ***I own Aria (OC)***

 **Enjoy the story!**

* * *

"You should join Fairy Tail!"

Aria froze. The cheerful guild's illusion shattered before her as she felt her shoulders and footfall become heavier. She struggled to keep her smile alight as his words ran rampant through her mind. She slowly took in a long, suffocating breath which gave her the slight energy to regain her classic smirk.

"Oh, yeah? I thought I told you before, Natsu? Guilds and I don't mix. I mean, your guild is great and all, but it's great for _you_ , not for me. I don't do the whole guild thing." Aria assured.

Natsu looked back at her, his grin never wavering for a second. "Huh? No way! You'd fit in great here! Right, Happy?" Natsu beamed at his cat companion far ahead of them.

"Aye Sir!" Happy saluted to Natsu, flying over to his side and grinning at the mysterious woman.

"Yeah!" Lucy walked up beside the pink-haired dragon slayer, with a crowd of guild members slowly following behind, "Besides, anyone that can make Natsu behave has to join!"

"You'd fit in great here, Aria. Any member of Natsu's family is one of ours as well!" Wendy stated proudly, smiling brightly at the brunette.

Aria glanced from person to person as they each provided their testimony. She stood in stunned silence, smirk melting from her face, as she tried to contemplate why all these strangers would even grant her a second thought.

 _What the hell is this guild?...Well, I guess you truly have found a good place for yourself, Natsu. Who knows, maybe it could be right for me?_ Aria sighed as she shut her eyes, mulling everything over. _I can't. I've still got things to do, places to be, sights to see. Besides, it's a guild, Aria. Don't be fooled by it. Just…let him down gently and be on your way._

"See, you heard 'em!" Natsu grinned, flinging an arm over her shoulders. "So, Aria, what do ya say? Will ya join Fairy Tail?"

Aria opened her eyes and looked at her best friend; the man she'd die for.

 _If I say no, could this be it? Could I be giving up my one rare chance at finally finding them? But if I say yes, what will I give up in exchange? My freedom? The chance to reach my goal? But then again, it's a guild and I_ know _how guilds are. There's no way that this one is any different. But…what if it is? What if everything I know about guilds is wrong? Yet that's impossible,_ especially _with all the guilds I've met and seen._

Aria turned and gazed at the blinding light of the rising sun. She scanned the various enthusiastic, cheerful faces of the Fairy Tail members as she reached her ringed fingers up to grasp her necklace and held it as if her life depended on it. With a final inhale, she prepared her decision.

"I'm sorry, Natsu, Fairy Tail, but I can't join. It's just not the life for me. Thanks anyways though. I really do appreciate it." Aria announced, showing them a genuine smile. She turned back to her pink-haired best friend. "It really was good seeing you again, Dragon Boy. I know you're in good hands here and you're gonna do great in whatever you do." Aria fondly ruffled his hair before turning away to face the growing rays of sunlight. "See ya later, kid." Aria warily took a step away and slowly crept towards her next destination.

"I thought you promised. Didn't we promise each other? I promised to protect you and you promised to protect me. How are we supposed to protect each other if we live on separate sides of the world, huh?" Natsu muttered, staring directly at the retreating woman.

Aria reluctantly stopped and turned back to face the accusatory man. She heaved a heavy sigh before rolling her eyes to stare him down. "Oh, come on, Natsu. I'm not breaking my promise, and neither are you. We went for seven years without seeing each other and we're still alive, right? Besides, it's not like we're never gonna see each other again."

"You promised. You might be fine with breaking that promise, but I won't." Natsu snarled at Aria.

 ** _Protect._**

Aria gritted her teeth as she glared pointedly at Natsu. "Dammit! I know, all right? I get it. I promised. I know I promised Igneel that day that I'd protect you, Natsu. I know that. His words run through my mind almost every second of every day. But I—"

"Wait. What do you mean you promised Igneel?" Natsu interrupted confusion lining his features.

Aria froze, eyes widening as she realized her mistake. "Wait. Natsu, I…I didn't mean…I…" She paused her stammering as she gently gazed at her best friend.

With a sigh of defeat, she collected herself and spoke. "Natsu. He told me not to tell you because he didn't want you to worry and I didn't think much of it back then but…" Aria hesitated, but continued, her voice solemn, "The day before he disappeared, before July 7th, Igneel made me promise him that I would always protect you, that I would never let anything happen to you, no matter what. I didn't know that he was going to disappear the next day. I swear. I'm sorry, Natsu. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't."

Silence clouded the air between them as they gently gazed at each other.

"Join Fairy Tail." Natsu barely murmured.

Aria sighed softly. "Natsu…I can't."

"You have to join Fairy Tail." Natsu continued.

"Natsu. I told you already, multiple times, no." Aria stated.

"Please, Aria." Natsu pleaded.

 _Ugh. This kid is going to be the death of me one day, I swear._

Aria rolled her eyes as she declared, "One week."

Natsu's grin grew as he looked, with wide eyes, at the woman. "What?"

Aria sighed once again and crossed her arms, hip jutting out to one side. "Give me one week. I'll be back at Fairy Tail in one week with my answer. However, until then, no complaining, no following, and no worrying. I've got things I've got to go off and do, and you've got things you've got to do at your guild. I'll be back, Natsu. Don't worry."

Natsu briskly walked over to Aria, his goofy grin never faltering once. Once he was nearly a foot away from her, he stuck out his hand, a confident smile gracing his face. "You promise?" Natsu questioned.

Aria looked at the man in front of her then down at his extended hand then back to the man himself. Her signature smirk grew on her face as she grasped his hand with hers. "Who do you think I am, huh? Of course, I promise." Aria jested, a competitive look spreading across her face.

In an instant, the two clasped hands glowed a blazing, dark purple as Natsu's flames and Aria's illusions mixed and collided, signifying their promise. The rest of the guild stood astounded as they watched the two use magic against each other like it was nothing. Just as fast as the light appeared, it withered away, leaving the mage's hands bright red and smoking.

Aria quickly smiled as big as she could before she pulled Natsu into a tight hug, never wanting to let go. The two held there for what seemed to be an eternity, savoring each other's presence. Aria let go of him and ruffled his pink locks one last time before turning away again, this time looking over her shoulder as she spoke.

"See you in a week, Dragon Boy." Aria began to walk away when she paused, "Oh, and Fairy Tail, keep an eye on him for me. If he gets into any trouble, feel free to teach him a lesson or two. Okay?" And with that, she continued towards her next promising destination.

The guild watched the retreating shadow. Then, following the rising sun, they began their journey back home to Magnolia.

* * *

With a sigh of content, the cloaked figure sat down along the edge of the cliff, gazing out at the serene sea. She swiftly lowered her hood and leaned back on her palms.

 _Well, now that that's all finished, I can finally focus on the rest of my tasks._ She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, listening to the crashing waves and the birds' songs _. I could get used to this. That is if I didn't have a million other things that I have to do._

A monstrous growl interrupted her train of thought. She jolted up, eye flashing open.

 _Maybe all that can wait._ She lowered a hand to her stomach. _I should probably eat considering I haven't had the chance for a long time. Whoops._

She clambered back onto her feet, looking once more at the peaceful seascape. With a final adjustment of her belongings, she turned toward the town at the edge of the sea.

 _Hargeon. Not a bad place to live. Gorgeous view. Lively town. Good food. Not bad at all._

She navigated her way through the crowds and streets. Idle chatter buzzed around her with talk of the Sorcerer's Weekly, fishing, and guilds. She finally found her "usual spot" and entered.

Inside, a wide variety of people, ranging from burly mages to friendly families filled the place. Aria spotted her usual table and walked over, greeting the staff on her way. As soon as she sat down, a young waitress breezed over, smile alight.

"Aria! It's so good to see you here again. You haven't been here for a while. Been busy, I'd expect?" the woman questioned as she placed down a water glass.

"It's good to see you too! I've been doing the usual work. Taking out dark guilds here and there…Getting into trouble with dark guilds here and there. You know. The usual." Aria replied with her smirk and a light chuckle.

"When are you gonna settle down? Stop traveling and causing trouble? Relax and maybe meet a nice guy? Or even join a guild? You do too much work, especially since you do most of it for free. You should really consider joining a guild. That way you can do what you do but get paid for it. Lamia Scale isn't too bad and it's nearby! There's also that Fairy Tail guild in Magnolia, or even—"

"Lei, you're rambling. Besides, Lamia Scale has tried to get me to join multiple times and I said no. As for Fairy Tail…well, I'm not joining a guild anytime soon, or ever for that matter. Besides, my life's fine. Don't worry." Aria rolled her eyes and laughed. "Now, I think I'm gonna change it up today and get the Star Light Soup and a Rose Tea."

"What? Not your usual? Alright Aria, what's wrong? You only get something other than your usual when something is wrong. So, what is it?" Lei interrogated, leaning over the table pointing at Aria.

"Don't worry about it. I've just got a bunch of things to mull over, that's all. I need to plan out my next trip and figure out some other points." Aria reluctantly admitted.

Lei squinted her eyes at the suspicious woman but reluctantly backed down. "Fine. Keep your secrets to yourself, Miss Illusion. But if I see you acting weird again, I'm gonna make you tell me, got it?" Lei sighed and brushed her bangs away from her face before regaining her cheerful expression. "I'll put in the order for you. If you need anything else, just let me know, 'kay?" With that, she sauntered away, chatting with other customers along the way.

Aria released a breath before shaking her head. "Why do I always get involved with crazy, protective mages?" She glanced around the restaurant, seeing the lively chatter and interactions. With a slight smile on her face, she looked down at her hands, specifically the rings adorning her fingers. _I should really get these cleaned and fixed up. They're looking rusted and damaged._ Aria heaved a sigh _. Yet another thing to add to my never-ending list of things to do._

Lei strolled back over towards Aria, placing a large bowl and decadent teacup in front of her. "Here ya go, girly. If you need anything else, and I mean _anything_ , let me know, 'kay?" Lei smiled at Aria before walking off again.

Aria began to devour her soup, thoughts running rampant through her mind. However, they were cut short as she overheard a conversation nearby that piqued her interest. Her gaze followed the voices and landed on two men seated nearby at the bar.

"Did you hear? Fairy Tail's annual endurance race is coming up. Are you going to go see it?" the first man questioned the man next to him.

"Of course. Though I'm not sure how safe it will be, especially knowing Fairy Tail's reputation for damaging everything." The second man replied warily.

"It's just a race. How bad do you think it'll get?" the first raised an eyebrow.

The second man lifted his beer, chugging before wiping his mouth with his sleeve and replying. "It's Fairy Tail. They could destroy the entire town for all we know. Especially that fire dragon slayer kid…What's his name?...Natsu?"

"Yeah, he's destroyed plenty of towns before. No doubt he'll find a way to destroy something during the race." The first man chuckled as he drank his beer.

"You're not wrong there."

Both men began to heartily laugh as Aria focused back on her food. She heaved a heavy sigh before closing her eyes.

 _Oh, Natsu. What am I gonna do with you, huh? I see you're still causing trouble, even after I told you not to. Now I'm gonna have to come back and kick your ass again._ Aria opened her eyes, looked back at her empty bowl, and took a sip of her rose tea. _Fairy Tail._ She glanced back at the two men at the bar and sighed once more.

 _I have to return there tonight with an answer… What am I gonna do?_ Aria closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on her decision before her eyes snapped back open. _Wait. What the hell am I thinking? I can't join. It's not even a question. As great as Natsu is, and as nice as they all were to help me out, I can't join. I can't be tied down like that. I came here with a goal, a purpose. I can't give that up,_ especially _after all this time. I made a promise, and I'm not gonna just give up._

She noticed Lei approaching and shook her head as if to clear her thoughts. She smiled as Lei began to gather the dishes. Aria reached into her bag and pulled out a handful of various jewels to give to the waitress.

"Here. A little extra something! Tell your family 'hi' for me and I'll see ya later!" Aria exclaimed, waving to the waitress.

She stood up and brushed off her clothes, straightening up her appearance. With a deep sigh, she walked out the building and to the main road headed towards Magnolia.

 _Fairy Tail, huh. Maybe they are the ones. I mean, technically, I've got all the time in the world to find them. Plus, if they are the ones that means I would have finally found them, that I finally have proof. Besides, Natsu is in the guild, and if the others are anything like him, then they just might be it…What to do? What to do?_

Aria continued to ponder her options as she wandered towards Magnolia and her next destination, a place where she would have to make her decision.

* * *

As Aria neared Magnolia, she came across a large crowd huddled near the front of what almost seemed like a mansion. She slowed her step as she viewed the impressive house in front of her. She glanced around at the people crowding the entrance.

"What's with the big commotion?" Aria inquired, lowering her hood.

"It's this new house. It just opened up on the market! They just built it and it's one of a kind! Isn't it magnificent?!" a woman nearby replied.

"Huh. It sure is a sight to behold." Aria mused

"Unfortunately, it's ridiculously expensive. Only the king of Fiore would be able to afford it." Another woman sneered.

The first woman whipped around, surprise covering her face. "You already know the price?!"

"Yep. They just announced it this morning. Apparently, it's 500,000,000 jewels in total." The second woman rolled her eyes.

"500,000,000 jewels! You're kidding. How do they expect to sell it if no one can even afford that?" the first woman screeched, nearly fainting. "Oh dear. This really would have been a nice house to have."

Aria gazed at the house once more. "500,000,000 jewels? Even that's a little much for this house." She looked at the perimeter of the house. The house itself was covered with a plethora of round and square-shaped windows. Multiple doors could be seen lining the edge of the house. A large garden hid behind the main expanse. What looked like multiple fruit trees stood tall beside the grand entrance. She admired the dark trim that contrasted with the lighter surface of the house.

She turned back to the woman from the crowd. "What's even in that house that makes it worth that much anyhow?"

"I've heard there are 3 guest rooms, each with their own luxury bathroom." The first woman exclaimed.

The second woman chimed in from behind. "Apparently, there's a huge pool inside the house as well."

"Not to mention, I've heard the kitchen is to die for. It's so spacious and it's everything anyone could ever want!" the first woman added.

Eventually, the crowd around Aria continued to get hyped up talking about the house. She glanced back at the grandiose house and the smug salesman standing near the front entrance, before she looked back at her destination, Magnolia.

 _Businesses and businessmen are so relentless. They'll do anything to get a pretty penny, just like guilds. Just another reason to not join Fairy Tail, I suppose. Who knows? Their whole helpfulness could've been an act._ Aria sighed heavily. _Regardless, they're expecting me. Natsu is expecting me. I made a promise and I intend on keeping it. I have to give them my answer tonight, no matter how much it will hurt._

Aria looked back one last time at the bustling crowd and the spectacle of a house before muttering her thanks to the women. She briskly turned back towards Magnolia and draped her hood back over her head. She continued to walk, getting closer to her destination yet farther from her decision.

 _What to do. What to do. Do I join Fairy Tail or not?_

* * *

Inside the not-so-distant guild, Fairy Tail, mages laughed and cheered and shouted and fought, just like every other day. Except, this time, a certain prominent pink haired troublemaker was absent from the fray.

"Hey, Mira, have you seen Natsu? Ever since we got back, he's been missing from the guild." Lucy wondered as she scanned the guild.

"Why do you wanna know where Flame-brain went? At least he's not destroying everything and causing mayhem." Gray interrupted, overhearing their conversation.

"Gray, your clothes." Mira reminded gently with a smile.

Gray immediately looked down and yelped as he ran off to find his clothes. Lucy rolled her eyes at the spectacle then focused back on the barmaid.

"As for Natsu, he left the guild not too long ago. I think I heard him say something about waiting for Aria." Mira continued.

Lucy looked over her shoulder at the guild doors. "That's right. Aria is supposed to come back today with her answer." Lucy rested her chin in her palm. "What do you think she's going to do? Do you think she'll join?"

Mira pondered thoughtfully over Lucy's question. "I'm not sure. Her and Natsu seem really close, but she also seems very reluctant to join a guild."

"Yeah. I wonder why she won't join a guild. The first time we met her, it almost seemed like she thought all guilds were dark guilds." Lucy contemplated. "But I think you're right. Her and Natsu are really close. You can tell she wants to be back with him, but it's almost like something is holding her back."

"That's not completely abnormal, though." Erza approached the two, sitting beside Lucy. "Not every mage has an interest in joining a guild. However, I do agree that something about guilds offsets her. Regardless, even though I'm not very well acquainted with her, I must admit something about her makes me uneasy."

"Uneasy? What do you mean?" Lucy questioned, puzzled.

Erza's brows furrowed as she thought about her encounters with the mysterious woman. "I'm not sure. But the first time we met her, something about her seemed 'off' in a way. Like she's hiding something. She seemed very hesitant to trust anyone."

"That can be the case for many people, however. Not everyone is open to others." Mira gently added.

"I'm aware. But, for a moment, especially when we fought, her presence and magic seemed…dark somehow. I'm just not sure if she should join Fairy Tail." Erza mulled.

The three girls looked back towards the guild doors, serious expressions written on their faces.

"Well, regardless of what I might think, she'll make her decision today. However, if she does choose to join, I plan on keeping watch of her. Just to be safe." Erza declared, before turning towards Lucy. "It's getting late. Maybe you should go check on Natsu, just in case she doesn't show. He'll be disappointed, and I know you can cheer him up."

Lucy nodded her head and glanced back towards the doors. "Right. I'll see you guys later!" She waved back towards them before exiting out the guild doors to look for Natsu.

"Natsuuuu! Where are you? Natsu." Lucy called out, looking left and right for the pink haired mage. Her gaze landed on the dragon slayer seated outside the front gate. She then noticed the floating blue cat near the slayer as she slowly crept towards the two.

"Natsuuu. It's getting late and I'm tired." Happy whined, floating down to the ground next to Natsu.

Natsu continued to stare intently out towards the city. "She'll be here. I know it, Happy. She promised. She has to come."

Happy looked at his best friend with a worried look. "Natsu…" He noticed Lucy coming closer and immediately flew into her arms. "Lucyyy."

Lucy looked down at the cat before shaking her head and looking back at the dragon slayer, a sympathetic look covering her features. "Natsu, the day's almost over. I know you're waiting for Aria, but she might not come."

"No." Natsu asserted. "I know Aria. She'll come. The day ain't over yet. I'm not leaving until she does come."

Lucy sighed as she looked from the man to the cat in her arms and back to the man before her. "Natsu. Maybe she got held up. She'll be here tomorrow for sure. Besides, you need sleep and food. C'mon. Let's go back to the guild, grab some food, and you can come back out here after you've eaten." Lucy smiled gently.

Just as Natsu was about to refuse, a loud growl erupted from his stomach.

"See? You need food. C'mon." Lucy lightly tugged on his arm, pulling him to his feet. "I'm sorry, Natsu. She's probably busy or forgot."

Natsu looked back out towards the town before reluctantly following Lucy and Happy back towards the guild with his head hanging low.

However, a smug voice rang out behind them.

"You aren't giving up hope on me, are you Dragon Boy?"

Natsu immediately spun around, a hopeful grin growing on his face as he saw the woman whose voice he just heard.

"I told you. I always keep my promises." Aria stated as she approached the dragon slayer. "It's good to see you again, Natsu." She stopped in front of him, hands on her hips.

Before she could speak another word, Natsu's arms were around her as he held onto her like a leech. Aria winced before grinning widely and hugging him with an equal amount of strength.

"I was only gone for a week, idiot." Aria teased as she struggled out of his grip. "Speaking of which, I heard you've done quite a lot of damage in that week. What am I going to do with you, Natsu? Hmmm?" Aria glared at Natsu, an evil glow in her eyes.

Natsu shrunk down, pleading for his life. "I'm sorry, Aria. I'm sorry."

Aria walked over and ruffled his hair before helping him to his feet again. "You're fine." She assured. "But if you ever make a mess again, I'll kick your ass. Got it?" She laughed heartily as she looked at the terrified expression on his face.

Natsu beamed at his childhood friend before flinging his arm over her shoulders. "So, you gonna join Fairy Tail, Aria?"

Aria glanced back at Natsu, rolling her eyes and sighing. "How about you eat some food first and then we talk? I heard your stomach growl from miles away."

With that, all four of them began laughing as they walked into the guild. Aria looked around the guild, especially at the faces of the guild members who helped her before. As she was scanning the guild, all the members watched her intently. Aria's brow furrowed before a smile spread across her face, as she turned back towards her best friend. The guildmembers glanced at each other, curious as to what the enigmatic woman would decide to do.

"Natsu," Aria called out, a serious expression written on her face.

The entire guild quieted to a hush as all eyes were focused on her. Natsu, who was stuffing food into his mouth, slowed his movements as he gazed at the serious woman. He swallowed the food in a giant gulp, before returning the serious expression directed towards him. The silence grew in the guildhall, making the anticipation near unbearable for everyone.

Aria took two steps towards Natsu, planting her feet sturdily on the ground and crossing her arms. "One week ago, I promised that I would return here, to Fairy Tail, with an answer to your question: Will you join Fairy Tail?" Aria glanced once more around the guild, examining every face and the various emotions gracing them.

 _This is it, Aria. You know what to do. You've made your choice_. Aria exhaled definitively. _Whatever happens from here on out will be based on this choice. This is the choice I've made and, unfortunately, nothing can change that. I'm sorry. But this is my final decision._

With a final exhale, Aria declared, "I've made my decision."


End file.
